Trump Extends Social Distancing to April 30
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, responds to a reporter’s question at a coronavirus (COVID-19) update briefing Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)
In a press conference in the Rose Garden today, President Trump extended the timeline for the social distancing rules enacted in response to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to April 30. The move comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and point man on the U.S.’ response to the coronavirus predicted that COVID-19 could take as many as 200,000 American lives even after stringent preventative measures were enacted. Building on Fauci’s prediction, Trump said that if the White House managed to keep the death toll under 100,000, he would have done “a very good job”.
The sudden announcement is an abrupt backtrack on Trump’s previous public projections of optimism and strength, having shown support for the possibility of the country being “opened up” by Easter.
The president said he predicts the country would be in recovery by June 1, something many scientists generally agree with, placing the current expected peak between three and six weeks from now.
On March 26, the United States took over China for the highest number of cases, breaking over 100,000 yesterday. Around the world, cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, with more than 720,000 reported cases and 34,000 deaths. In Italy, the death toll reached 11,000 today as Spain broke 6,800.
In New York, the hardest hit state, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio stated that the city only had one week’s worth of supplies as Trump questioned “where are the masks going?” challenging New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s request for an additional 30,000 supplies.
California, which currently trails behind New York and New Jersey’s combined 74,000 cases, is expected to surge next week. The state government has taken increasingly restrictive actions through “stay at home orders” which have closed state parks, beaches, and required people to self-isolate unless getting essential supplies or exercising.
Earlier today, the USNS Mercy, a naval hospital ship, moved to the port of Los Angeles to help assist with the pandemic, began accepting its first patients, all of whom have non-coronavirus ailments in an attempt to separate infected persons in hospital settings.
Last week, Governor Newsom activated the national guard in response to the growing threat of the virus. In Los Angeles the Los Angeles Convention Center is being converted into a Federal Field hospital.
Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti asked local motels and hotels to provide temporary shelter for homeless and people who need to quarantine, suggesting that the costs would be covered by FEMA. In an attempt to find emergency shelter, the city of Los Angeles has opened up a streamlined survey for home, motel, and hotel owners to apply.
Garcetti also addressed the low numbers of tests in the city of four million, saying that despite only 6,741 tests having been conducted, he expects that number to triple by the end of the week.
